7:00am Wednesday 15th April 2009
By Sonia Elks
HOSPITAL staff are suffering attacks by their patients, a report has warned.
There were 154 staff incidents across North Essex in the nine months leading up to December 31, including 62 within Tendring, according to a risk management report produced by NHS North Essex, the area’s primary care trust.
Physical attacks were the most common incident suffered by health workers. Hospital records showed that staff were physically assaulted on 210 occasions, and there were also 69 non-physical assaults.
The figures also showed nine staff were accidentally jabbed with needles.
Tracey Rice, a nurse who was attacked in 2006 in Clacton Hospital by a drunk patient who kicked her and pushed her in the chest, said aggressive patients were an ongoing problem.
She said: “The problem is hospitals do all they can do with limited power and funds.”
Speaking about the attack she suffered, which led to one of the first prosecutions of a patient, she said: “I did not get a lot of support on the night because it was very busy, but it was not anybody’s fault. I do not think they really realised what had happened to me.”
She added that hospitals could still use more staff, and more security to protect health workers.
Trevor Redburn, assistant general manager for the coastal area, said assaults on crew members were an issue for the ambulance service.
He said: “Unfortunately a lot of these incidents occur because the patient or someone with them has consumed too much drink or taken drugs. We are increasingly seeing this happen and it’s a regular feature of our job when it shouldn’t be.”
Ryan Taylor, risk manager at NHS North East Essex, said: “All but two of the assaults on staff within NHS North East Essex occurred within the learning disability service, which we host.
“We believe the increase on the previous year is as much about improved staff reporting procedures as actual assaults.”
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